Card filing system



Oct. 5. 1926.

R. L. PARKER ET AL CARD FILING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 5 1922 EJE'I.

fer? tors Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

UNITED STA ROBERT L. PARKER AND HERBERT'DQFIELD, OF EL PASO, TEXAS,ASSIGNORS TO ROB- ERT C. RUSSELL, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARD FILING SYSTEM.

Application filed February 3,.1922. serialno. 533,848.

This invention relates to card index sys tems of the kind wherein aseries ofpcards or index elements are suspended in overlapping relationon a suitable frame. The invention has to do particularly with themethod of attaching a transparent covering to the lower exposed edge ofeach card to.

prevent the edges from becoming dirty, soiled, and in addition toprevent bending or dog-caring of the corners. This covermg and renforcement serves also to keep the cards 1n perfect ahgnment and toovercome certain objectionsto present methods of protecting these edgesand the necessity of folding the edge of the card to support thecovering in position, and to eliminate the bulky nature'of theattachment of said covering to the card where engaging tongues orsockets areused.

Fig. 1 is a face view of the improved construction with the lower edgecovering in place.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail of a corner of Fig. 1 on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentarycorner of one'of the cards with holes punched toreceive the sheath.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of Fig. 2 along the line Hlooking in direction of 'the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section of Fig. 2 takenalong theline 5-5.

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections showing modifications.

Referring to the drawing, the card 1 is an index card of anysuitable'size which is supported by hinges 2 or other means fixed ontothe top edge of the card and adapted to engage one of a series ofhangerson a card frame not shown lapping arrangement. plurality of cards arearranged upon the frame in overlapping relation so that a short portionof the lower or upper edge of each card is at all times visible. On thislower edge of eachcard is identifying printed or written matter whichserves to identify the respective cards with the printed informationthereon. {Ithas been found with constant use. that these cards tend tobecome frayed along their lower edges anddog-eared in a manner that.

is objectionable not only to the person making the entries upon thecards but the 1dent1- fying or. written matter along the bottomroduc'ing fan overstruction shown in F g. 5 the aperture 0 edge of thecards bec mes obliterated to such an extent that it cannot be read.

Numerous. protecting sheaths or reinforcements have been devisedto-protect the card and the written matter thereon, but such attemptshave not been altogether satisfactory due to the bulkiness of theassembly, and trouble experienced in keeping the protect- 111g" coverins from becoming disengaged from the ends of the cards.

This invention discloses a sheath or protective' covering which whenaffixed to the edge of, the card becomes almost an integral part thereofand is not easily detached from the card unless particular care is takenin disengaging the pawls or securing hooks from the punch holes of thecard. The sheath takes the form of a transparent U- shaped member 3which fits about the lower edge of. 'each card and has a plurality oftongues 4' punched therein, which engage punch holes 5 in the card. InFigs. 4: and 5 the tongues appear as depending pawls 4. In Fig. 4 thepawl is stamped from the front face of the sheath or covering and inFig.

5 the pawl is stamped from the rear wall of I the sheath, but ineachcase the pawls are inserted into the punch holes such as shown ES PATENTOFFICE.

at 5 in Fig. 3. Both forms' (Figs. 4 and 5)- p may be used with the samecard, as shown, or either form-may be employed, as desired. When it isdesired to release the sheath or protective lower edge covering 3, it isonly 1 necessary to insert a blade, pencil point or othersharpened-object through the aperture 6 and push out the pawl fromengagement with' the punch holes 5 in the card. The device as shown inFig. 4 would require the disengaging aperture 6 to, be cut in the backwall of the sheath, while in 'the conwould necessarily be. in the front,so that'the engaging depending pawl 4*? could be pushed out of the punchhole in the card. In Figs. 6 and 7 are shown modifications in which theengaging portion or locking of the sheath with the card is effected bymeans of hooks 7 formed in the engaging the apertures 5 similarly to thedeending pawls in "Figs. 4 and .5; S1m1'lar etaching apertures 6 are cutin the front of the sheaths so that the hooks may be detachedsimilarly-to detaching of the pawls in Figs. 4 and 5.

back wall of the sheath and vfor a strip extending completely across orpart way across the lower edge of the card and containing printedmatter, relating to the information contained upon the, card,

thus, either the signal or the identifying printed matter may be removedor replaced in the pocket as desired. a

o The construction provides reinforcement and protection for the exposededges of the overlapping cards, this protection occupying a minimumamount of space and adapted to be readily aflixed or snapped into placeand easily detached from the card. Also, the printed or typewrittenmatter on both sides of the card, even to the extreme edge, can beeasily read without removing the covering or removing the card from thepocket or detaching it from its hanger.

A further advantage of the construction is that the pawls or hooks whichprovide the locking feature, are out directly from the material of thecovering and no extra attachment is necessary. The punch holes hangersand may be punched'at the same time and in the same manner. The sheathextends upward on the card to a distance slightly greater than the widthof the exposed portion of the card when hung in po v sition, butsufiiciently' greater to prevent catching on the next card above orbelow during the actual operation of l'owering or raising the card inmaking entries. live claimas our invention:

1. A protecting sheath for the lower exposed edges of index cardscomprising a U-shaped element of, flexible transparent gagement oflocking tongues formed in the sheath with apertures in the card, saidsheath extending substantially the length of. the exposed edge of thecard forming a pocket open at each end in combination with a signalstrip slidably insertable in the open ends of the pockets.

2. A protecting sheath for the lower exposed edges of indexcardscomprising a U-shaped element of flexible transparent materialfixedly attached to the card adapted. to form a pocket open at each endof the transparent sheath, in combination with an identifying stripslidably insertable in the open-ended pocket.

v ROBERT L. PARKER.

HERBERT'D. FIELD.

501 material fixedly attached to the card by en-

